DPC Education Center 2023 Review and 2024 Preview

2024-01-11T15:32:50-05:00January 11th, 2024|Categories: About DPC Ed Center, eNews, Patient Support Group, Quality of Life, Resources, Staying Healthy, The Kidney Citizen, Treatment|

GREETINGS! This past year was an exciting one for the Education Center. We ramped up our social media platforms, allowing more direct exposure and interaction with our audience, including monthly LIVEs on Instagram and Facebook. Dr. Velma Scantlebury, our medical consultant, was available on Instagram every first Wednesday and on Facebook every third Wednesday—both occurred at 12:30 pm. Our support group, the Kidney Chat, was the second Tuesday of each month by telephone. Nephrologists, nutritionists, and social workers (just to name a few) were guests on the call, and shared important information and resources with patients. We also published an informative [...]

Dialysis Cruising

2023-06-18T15:46:04-04:00June 14th, 2023|Categories: Dialysis, Hemodialysis, Quality of Life, The Kidney Citizen|

Joanne Smith, RN, Kidney Care Advocate, Fresenius Kidney Care Whether you are on in-center hemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis, or home hemodialysis taking a cruise is an option for you. It takes a bit of planning, but what vacation doesn’t? I have experienced several cruises that have offered services for dialysis patients. The treatments were performed in staterooms on the lower level of the ship, close to the infirmary. We used a portable reverse osmosis machine attached to the water from the bathroom to provide the purified water needed for the dialysis treatments. We used jugged acid and bicarbonate solutions [...]

Chilled Cucumber Low Potassium Soup

2023-08-03T15:50:44-04:00June 14th, 2023|Categories: Nutrition, Recipe of the Month, Recipes, The Kidney Citizen|

Thanks to Jessianna Saville, MS, RDN, CSR, LD, CLT, a member of the Ed Center Advisory Council and Founder & CEO of the Kidney Nutrition Institute, for providing us with this great kidney-friendly recipe* to kick off summer! Chilled Cucumber Low Potassium Soup Recipe developed by Clarissa Paimanta, RD and tested by Lydia Safadi, MA, RD, LDN. Ingredients Makes 3 servings 1 large cucumber, about 2 cups, deseeded and chopped ½ avocado chopped 1 spring onion, both green and white parts, roughly chopped ½ cup plain coconut milk yogurt 2 tablespoon olive oil 2 tablespoon low sodium homemade pesto 4-5 fresh [...]

Summer Harvest Egg Muffin Cups

2023-07-12T12:48:01-04:00June 14th, 2023|Categories: Nutrition, Recipe of the Month, Recipes, The Kidney Citizen|

Thanks to Jessianna Saville, MS, RDN, CSR, LD, CLT, a member of the Ed Center Advisory Council and Founder & CEO of the Kidney Nutrition Institute, for providing us with this great kidney-friendly recipe* to kick off summer! Summer Harvest Egg Muffin Cups Recipe developed by Jessianna Saville, RDN, Renal Nutrition Specialist Ingredients Makes 12 Servings 1 cup vegetables diced small or shredded (we did 1/3 c carrot, 1/3 c yellow squash, 1/3 c red pepper) 1 teaspoon oil 8 eggs 1 tablespoon fresh herbs (we used dill, basil, and parsley) 3 stalks green onion green and white thinly sliced 2 [...]

Fighting Back Against Implicit Bias in Health Care

2023-06-14T14:23:42-04:00June 14th, 2023|Categories: Additional Resources, Mental Health, Physical Health, Quality of Life, The Kidney Citizen|

Tips for how to speak up and speak out against discrimination in a medical setting Kirsten Weir The receptionist requests two forms of identification from you, yet the White person in front of you required no identification to be verified. A nurse who uses a condescending tone of voice: “you people are all alike.” A doctor who doesn’t listen to you: Having just told the doctor you have knee problems, he recommended that you walk 30 minutes every day. Are they just having a bad day — or is it implicit bias? Implicit bias is an attitude or [...]

Andrew Carr Knows There’s More for Him

2023-06-14T14:22:23-04:00June 14th, 2023|Categories: Dialysis, Kidney Transplant, Mental Health, Stress Management, The Kidney Citizen|

Andrew Carr Kidney disease has been part of Andrew’s life since he was 7 years old, when he was diagnosed with Hydronephrosis. Now 29, Andrew has had kidney disease for the majority of his life, but he’s guided by the principle that his kidney disease doesn’t control his life, he does. Andrew began dialysis treatments when he was 19. While Andrew’s exposure to kidney disease happened so early in his life, he does not remember how he felt about it at its outset, but vividly remembers the beginning of his dialysis treatments. For three-and-a-half years Andrew persevered through [...]

Four Things You Should Know About the New Medicare Dental Rule

2023-06-14T14:19:46-04:00June 14th, 2023|Categories: Additional Resources, Physical Health, The Kidney Citizen|

Andrea Moore, LMSW, Health Equity Specialist, Quality Insights Renal Network 5 1. Before January 1, 2023, Medicare would pay for a dental exam only for patients who were actively seeking a kidney transplant. Now, the new Medicare dental rule will pay for a dental exam and dental treatment (e.g., dental filling, teeth removal, replacement of teeth, etc.) for patients actively seeking any organ transplant. If you are living with kidney disease--with or without dialysis--Medicare will not pay for preventative care, like teeth cleanings. What this means for you: If you have Medicare and are actively seeking transplant, meaning [...]

The Making of An Advocate

2023-06-14T14:17:06-04:00June 14th, 2023|Categories: Dialysis, Kidney Transplant, Medication, Mental Health, Support, The Kidney Citizen, Treatment|

Gene Blankenship, DPC Board of Directors Thinking about Life Sitting in my recliner watching the leaves fall like big fat orange snowflakes, I see the trees begin to change colors. My immediate first thought is “How many more seasons of change will I see? Is this my last fall”? Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) is a constant passenger in my life. Anytime you have a passenger with you for long periods of time, you will go through events together that stamp your life. For example, as a child, I watched Eugene Taylor Jr., my dad, hook himself up every [...]

Spring 2023 State Advocacy Update

2023-06-14T14:15:01-04:00June 14th, 2023|Categories: Costs for Treatment, Resources, The Kidney Citizen|

Elizabeth Lively, DPC Eastern Region Advocacy Director Pamela Zielske, DPC Western Region Advocacy Director The 2023 legislative session has been a busy and productive one for DPC’s state advocacy efforts. Bills impacting dialysis patients have been introduced in multiple state legislatures and in most cases have moved quickly through the legislative process. Improving access to Medigap coverage is a top priority for DPC, and we are thrilled that legislation was introduced in multiple states this session to expand Medigap access to patients under the age of 65. Last month, DPC celebrated Governor Glenn Youngkin's (R) signing [...]

For Mike Guffey, Working Was Key to Staying Positive

2023-06-15T18:55:03-04:00June 14th, 2023|Categories: Diagnosis of Kidney Disease, Dialysis, Employment, Hemodialysis, In-Center Hemodialysis, Kidney Transplant, Mental Health, Quality of Life, The Kidney Citizen|

Mike Guffey When Mike Guffey began dialysis treatments in 2008, one of his top priorities was to ensure he had a reason to keep moving forward, something to look forward to when he got out of bed which would allow him to push through his treatment regimen. For him, that meant returning to work as quickly as he could after starting his treatments, especially given how quickly he crashed into life on dialysis. Normally based in Kansas City, Mike was working temporarily as a project manager in Colorado when he noticed something was off. He went to the [...]

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